White House Historical Association Announces New Video – Upon These Grounds: Exploring the White House Garden

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Every
year more than a million people on visits to the White House, enjoy
fleeting glimpses of the lovely surrounding gardens and grounds. Twice a
year thousands attend the public garden tours in spring and fall. For
the millions more who will never have the opportunity to experience
firsthand the tranquility and beauty of the White House grounds, the
White House Historical Association has produced UPON THESE GROUNDS:
EXPLORING THE WHITE HOUSE GARDEN, a 30-minute video history and tour of
this unique American heritage

UPON THESE GROUNDS captures the magic and beauty of 200 years in the
life of a life in garden. Just as the White House serves as home,
official residence, office, and museum, so too the garden is the scenic
of both historical events and informal gatherings. “In the White House
garden an artillery battery salutes a head of state one day and children
roll Easter eggs the next. The garden is a place where roses are named
for Pat Nixon and Nancy Reagan, and a tulip for Hillary Rodham Clinton”
wrote Lawrence L. Knutson, Associated Press writer.

Today ancient oaks and elms shade grounds known to George Washington
and his 42 successors woo have called it home. Presidents have loved
these gardens. Each has played his part, from early-day gardeners like
John Quincy Adams, who actually tilled the garden’s soil, and Andrew
Jackson whose magnolias are still covered with white blossoms each June
to Theodore Roosevelt who reluctantly allowed his architects to demolish
his cherished conservatory and John F. Kennedy who made the private
Rose Garden near the Oval Office into an outdoor meeting place that
accommodates a thousand spectators.

This fascinating video will show you rare footage of first families
relaxing in their “backyard.” You travel to private areas never seen by
the public and learn how the grounds evolved from their earliest days as
a working farm. to a battlefield for the nation’s growing pains, to a
public promenade with tropical greenhouses to the symbolic media
backdrop of today. You will come away from this video with a new
appreciation of this special place where both natural beauty and history
await you.

UPON THESE GROUNDS features an original score performed by “The President’s Own” the United States Marine Band.

UPON THESE GROUNDS and the accompanying viewer’s guide were produced
for the White House Historical Association by WQED Pittsburgh and
underwritten by a grant from General Motors. Additionally, General
Motors has funded the cost of 30,000 videos to be distributed to
schoolchildren across the country. GM also funded the film WITHIN THESE
WALLS: A VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE which has been viewed by close to a
million people at the White House Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
UPON THESE GROUNDS is currently being shown at the Visitor Center.

About the white house historical association

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $45 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.